MEMPHIS, TN– Quiezell Johnson, from northern Memphis, says that is lucky to be alive thanks to a Memphis Police Officer. A bullet struck Johnson in the neck and when Officer Chris Williams arrived, he immediately began life saving measures until the ambulance arrived and took over.
According to MSN news, on Wednesday, the two came together to tell their story.
Johnson, who still has a bullet lodged in his foot, recalls what happened last month when he was walking down the street.
He began by saying:
“A car pulled up on me and shots got fired and the only thing I can recall is the bullet going through my neck.”
On July 11th, Officer Williams was the first officer to arrive on scene where he found Johnson with several gunshot wounds, one in the foot and another in the neck. Williams had on him what is called a “Medicop kit,” which is a small pouch with essentials to administer life saving techniques until paramedics arrive.
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) has been issuing the Medicop kits to their officers since 2018.
In discussing what the did, Williams said:
“I got my gauze and I got my trauma pack and I theoretically pushed it inside his neck so it would stop the bleeding.”
Williams credits the Medicop kit as the reason he was able to help.
He said in a statement:
“As a matter of act, I believe if we didn’t have these kits that we’d have a lot more fatalities that what we got as it is.”
According to WMC5, Johnson was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition and as he stood next to officer Williams on Wednesday, he said it’s a blessing to be alive.A month later and the enter and exit wound on Johnson’s neck is still visible.
Johnson said candidly:
“I wanna be thankful, but like he told me, once your life gets saved, you save other lives. So, you know, I just want the youth to know that it ain’t what you do, it’s how you do it.”
He said:
“Truth be told, I didn’t know I was going to make it, but I prayed to my Father all the way through the run, it was a long run to bleed the way I bled.”
He continued:
“I never though I would be saved by an officer because when I was growing up the officers always thought we was crooks and up to no good.”
According to Williams, he has almost eight years on the job and he has never seen someone get shot in the neck and survive. Since the day of the shooting, Williams has been checking on how Johnson and his family are doing.
Man meets Memphis police officer who saved him after bullet tore through his neck https://t.co/5iqakVGpEr
— Raymond E. Foster (@policeofficer) July 23, 2020
Johnson’s grandmother has nothing but praise for Officer Williams. She said in a heartfelt statement:
“Black lives do matter and my grandson’s life matter to officer Chris and I want the world to know that.”
Williams said:
“This is a very unrewarding at times, indescribable difficult job to do and whenever you hear ‘thank you,’ it means everything. The climate of law enforcement is hard right now, but we will get through.”
According to Johnson, he is scheduled for surgery to remove the bullet from his foot Thursday and he says he will remember Officer Williams and that day for the rest of his life.
I was dispatched to a shooting a few days ago where a subject was shot multiple times including in his neck, I made the…
Posted by Chris Williams on Monday, July 20, 2020
In talking about what happened, Johnson said:
“It’s painful, but you know it’s bless-ful too.”
Johnson said it’s not only a blessing to survive the odds, but also to meet the police officer credited with saving his life. He then said that he has a positive though now and that he plans to stay in touch with officer Williams.
Quiezell Johnson was shot in the neck and foot. The first Memphis Police officer performed life saving techniques until paramedics arrived. Today he told reporters he wouldn’t be alive if it were not for the officers quick actions pic.twitter.com/7BDP1mGQUF
— Jeni DiPrizio (@local24jeni) July 22, 2020
This was not the first time officer Williams applied life-saving measure. Back in 2019, he came to the aid of another shooting victim. He says it is important for him to serve his community in the best way possible.
Here’s another story of a cop being a hero and saving a life, this time an infant’s.
One year ago, on June 11, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy William Kimbro pulled over a speeding car. When he approached the vehicle, he saw an upset mother holding her 12-day-old newborn, who had stopped breathing, according to KCTV News 5.
The mother told the deputy that the baby stopped breathing after drinking a bottle, so Kimbro took the baby’s limp and cyanotic (turning blue) body, found a pulse and immediately performed lifesaving first aid.
TEARS! South Carolina Deputy William Kimbro performed CPR and saved baby girl Ryleigh, who had been choking in the back of a vehicle. One year later – he's now her godfather. ?? https://t.co/NR7JdxECYV
— FOX 46 Charlotte (@FOX46News) June 15, 2020
Kimbro’s body camera captured what he did and said:
“Come on, baby. Cry for me. Cry for me. Come on, open those eyes, sweetheart. There you go!”
After a few tense minutes, he was able to get the baby to breathe again until EMS could arrive.
Baby Ryleigh made a full recovery, but the story does not end there.
Sheriff Duane Lewis awarded Kimbro with a Life-Saving Medal for his heroic actions last year, and the officer kept in touch with Ryleigh’s family.
?stories like this more common than the other.#HERO
South Carolina Deputy Sheriff William Kimbro honored as godfather after saving 12-day-old baby's life – ABC7 Los Angeles https://t.co/rPvGykd4JJ
— Raise ur Right Hand (@RaiseURH) June 15, 2020
Then, on the one-year anniversary of saving the baby’s life, Kimbro received a surprise visit from Ryleigh and her mother. They had stopped by the officer’s home to invite him to her first birthday party.
He opened the invitation and discovered a hidden message.
He said:
“My jaw just dropped, and I had this look on my face.
“I was able to finally scratch it off, it says ‘will you be my godfather’ and I said ‘absolutely.”
Kimbro recalled emotionally:
“I said, ‘You got to be kidding me.’ I said, ‘Y’all got me, y’all got me.’ It surprised me. And, they’re like, ‘Yes, we did.’”
Ryleigh’s mother expressed how the two families were bonded:
“I want him to feel like we’re family, which we are family. I felt like I had to give him a title, let him know, ‘Hey, thank you, thank you so much.'”
She noting that the deputy will be a part of her heart forever.
For his part, Kimbro does not want to be considered a hero as he was simply in the right place at the right time.
Kimbro said:
“I always asked myself, ‘What was the reason I actually went down that street?’ Because there were five, six, seven other streets I could have gone down. You know what, as the saying goes, God works in mysterious ways.”
Amen to that.
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